Leader
by Technoco
Summary: How far can a leader go before he breaks? (disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago.)
1. Chapter 1

(Cole's POV)

I missed the calm, quiet moments I had back at home, where no one would have to worry about me or ask how I'm doing. And if they did, I could always answer with the truth.

As a leader, it is my mission to protect and watch over the other four. Jay, being the most difficult to keep in line. Lloyd wasn't too difficult if you promised him an easy training session. Zane always knew what to do. Kai was always in tip-top shape. It's like a session of ultimate babysitting, but the 'kids' watch over you too.

"Are you okay, Cole?" I snapped out of my thoughts, looking up at Kai. We were in the middle of dinner. I hadn't noticed the food placed in front of me.

 _No._ "Yeah. Why?" I asked, keeping my earlier thoughts to myself.

"You seem upset. You haven't touched your dinner yet." He replied, a worried look on his face. I looked over at the others, noticing that they were watching the small interaction as well. I picked up my fork, forcing a light smile as I started eating.

"I'm fine, thanks. Just had some things to think about." He didn't seem convinced, but he continued eating anyway.

 _Are you okay?_

The question stuck in my mind for the rest of the night.

I was interrupted from my dreams with the sound of Jay's screaming. Unfortunately, Kai had decided that the one night I didn't get much sleep, he'd prank Jay in the morning. "KAI! You poured ice cold water all over me! Are you _serious?!_ " Jay ranted on, screaming about how cold and wet he was. Kai and Zane laughed, watching him stomp around angrily.

"Can you guys shut up _please?"_ I begged, shoving my face back into my pillow. The laughter got quieter, and Jay left to go change out of his clothes. I felt a tearing pain in my head, a large headache beginning to form. I groaned, curling up further.

"Cole, are you okay? You don't sound too good." Kai mumbled, pressing his hand to my forehead once I lifted my head from the pillow. "God, you're burning up!" He gasped, looking to Zane.

"Kai, you dolt, I'm fine." I said, getting up. I did feel incredibly ill once I stood, and I felt myself wavering a bit, unable to stand perfectly still. "We have sunrise training. Go get ready, meet me at the training course." I said, grabbing a change of clothes.

Kai argued, "But Cole-"

"No arguing. I'm fine." I said, leaving the room.

After finishing getting ready, I headed down to the training room to see Kai, Zane, and Jay already training.

 _Had I really taken that long to shower up?_

"Hey Cole!" Jay laughed, putting his arm around my shoulder. The scar on my forehead burned a bit from the headache getting worse. "Teach us, oh wise one." Jay joked.

"Shut up," I forced a small chuckle, "alright. Training. Jay, today you're on the course. Kai, practice your element a bit longer. Zane, focus on your inner elemental state. I'm taking the punching bag today." They all nodded, heading to their assigned stations. I headed to the punching bag, kicking and punching as I felt my power build up. I could hear Jay complaining from across the room.

"Coooole, Kai's being annoying! He set my glove on fire!"

"Shut up Jay, I did not!"

"Please, brothers, focus."

 _Dammit._ I felt my hand slip, punching the punching bag the wrong way, sending pain through my wrist. I squeaked, holding my wrist, hoping it wasn't too hurt.

"Cole?" Jay asked, stepping forward, "Did you hurt your hand? Zane, go get Nya!" Jay ordered, "And grab the first aid kit!"

"No," I said, looking over at them, "I'm okay. It was just a minor mistake." I rubbed my wrist, feeling the pain intensify.

"Are you sure?" Kai asked, worried.

"Yeah." I replied. "I'm going to go get some ice." I mumbled, walking to the kitchen. I felt all their eyes follow my as I moved, wondering if it truly was just a small injury. I knew it wasn't something small, it still hurt.

I opened the freezer, grabbing a small ice pack. I placed it to my wrist, biting my lip as I felt even more pain. I knew it wasn't broken, but a fracture was possible. I felt a few tears well up in my eyes, and I forced them back. "Leaders don't show pain, leaders don't show pain," I mumbled to myself.

I instantly noticed a small noise in Sensei's meditation room. The sound of something falling. For a moment, I felt as if I had to go look. _I can't just barge into his meditation room when he isn't there..._ But... To be fair, he wasn't there to see me enter without permission. I shuffled to his room, opening the door. "Sensei...?" I asked aloud, making sure no reply was heard before I opened the door a bit more and ventured in. I noticed a scroll lying on the floor, instantly captivating my attention. I felt drawn to it.

"I guess I could take a small peak..." I murmured, picking it up. I unrolled the scroll hesitantly, reading the print.

I felt my heart stop, the words sinking in.

 _No._

I dropped the scroll.

 _No! No!_

"N-no, that can't be me!" I shook my head, backing up against the wall.

 _NO!_

I felt hot tears well up, letting them cascade down my cheeks. "NO!" I yelled, burying my hands in my face. I heard footsteps running to the room, knowing it was the others coming to see what all the noise was about. I sobbed, not caring who saw.

It couldn't be true.

 **First chapter done! Woo!**

 **I enjoy cliffhangers. And angst. Cole angst. Just letting you all know ;).**

 **Let me know how you like this book so far! I apologize if I get things wrong, I'm just starting out writing on here. Also, this is based after Dotd. Sorry if I get things mixed up, there's a lot to remember.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

(Cole's POV)

I woke up to the smell of fresh pancakes and a soft hand pressed against my forehead. "Hey bud... You gave us quite the scare there." Kai mumbled, seated next to me on my bed. I stretched softly, snuggling back into the pillow.

"What happened?" I asked, worried. I could only remember everything leading up to the guys running into the room. Everything after that was a blurred mess.

"We don't know. We ran in, and you were just crying." He pulled my closer, hugging me gently. "God, Cole, I've never seen you like that. I was so scared."

I instantly felt guilt and disappointment. I couldn't believe what I'd done. I was supposed to be there for them, not the other way around! "Kai, I-I'm so sorry..." I apologized, sitting up. Guilt was running through my veins. A worried look crossed his face as he looked back at me.

"Cole, you're sorry?" He asked, "You have no reason to be sorry! There's nothing you need to apologize for!" He exclaimed, getting off the bed. Jay, Zane, and Lloyd ran in from the sudden noise.

"Cole!" They all yelled, Lloyd and Jay running forward to pull me into a tight hug.

"I am glad you are better, brother." Zane smiled, patting my head gently. I smiled lightly, appreciating the gesture.

"What happened to you?!" Jay suddenly asked, his hands on my cheeks in worry, "I've never seen you so... broken!"

"And I never see you so serious!" I replied, trying to lighten the mood. No one laughed.

"Cole, this is serious!" Kai frowned, and I could practically see his anger firing up again. I shrunk back, resting my head on Jay's shoulder. Kai noticed, instantly taking a step back. "What... happened, Cole?" Concern swam in his enticing amber eyes.

"Nothing. I'm fine, promise!" I argued back, chuckling nervously. Kai didn't believe me.

"Cole." He ordered. He shut the door, taking a seat on my bed again. "Please tell me." He said, looking me in the eye. I noticed Zane leaving with Lloyd and Jay to give us some privacy. I was now alone with Kai.

"Kai, I saw something I shouldn't have seen..." I began, instantly feeling my face heat up and my eyes water. Kai reached over and held my hand gently for support. "I-I went into Sensei's room to check on something, and I found a scroll on the ground," I continued, "The scroll was about me, Kai." I avoided his gaze.

Kai stood and walked to his bunk, grabbing something off the shelf. I instantly noticed what it was, my face become pale in fear. "This?" He asked, holding it out to me. I nodded, grabbing it. "We didn't look at it. Sensei tells us not to look at them." He said, sitting back in his original spot.

I opened the scroll, reading it out to him. " _As the Master of Earth grows stronger, so will his power. As it grows, the Earth is on its final hour."_ I finished, looking up at Kai. He was shocked, and I could see it in his face that he knew what this meant.

"C-cole..." He mumbled, "Y-you..."

"Kai, please," I tried to argue, but he stood, his face red with anger. 

"You _monster_!" He yelled, grabbing the scroll and seeing for himself what it held. "You... Absolute nightmare!"

"N-no, Kai-"

Flames erupted from his hands, and he grabbed my arm harshly. I cried out as his fire burned my hands. "I-I hope you leave and never come back! You're good for nothing!" He yelled, a few tears streaming down his cheeks, " _I HATE YOU!_ YOU'RE DANGEROUS! GO AWAY, COLE! GET AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!" He tossed me to the ground as the door was thrown open by the others.

"KAI! What are you doing?!" Lloyd yelled, shoving him against the wall. I held my burn, still shocked from what had just happened. I knew Kai was practically always a ticking time bomb, but this... This was too much for just an overreaction. He meant this. I scrambled to my feet, rushing out of the room.

"Cole!" Jay yelled after me, but I ran to the edge of the ship, sliding down the chain until I reached the ground. I ran, not wanting to look back.

It was nearly 12 pm before he found me. I was sat on the beach, watching the waves. Waves I would soon destroy with everything else. "Cole..." I heard him whimper.

"Go away, Kai." I muttered, picking up another rock and flicking it at the water, causing it to skip once before drowning. He shuffled over, taking a seat next to me.

"I didn't mean it," He began, and for once I decided to hear him out. "I really didn't. It was just such a shock, and the thought of you... hurting my family, Cole, it scared me. I wanted you gone. But I don't. I really don't. I need you, okay? We all do." He said, pulling me close. "I really, really need you." Tears blurred my vision.

It'd been too long since I'd heard that.

"And don't you ever, for one second, believe anything else." He mumbled into my hair as he hugged me. I buried my face in his neck, deciding to just let it out. I cried, hugging him tight.

"I-I don' wanna hurt any 'f you," I sobbed, his shirt muffling my voice, "I love you all s'much, and I t-try _so_ hard to be the best for you all a-and I'm not, Kai, I'm not!" He shushed me, wiping my tears away.

"You are. You are, Cole." He whispered, gently rubbing my cheek with his thumb. "I'm so sorry, Cole." He apologized.

"S'okay, I forgive you," I replied, pulling away from the hug. I heard whoops and cheers behind me and turned to see Jay, Lloyd, and Zane waiting around for us. I quickly wiped any sign of tears off my face, and smiled. Jay ran forward and pulling me into a hug, laughing.

"Good to see you're still with us, Rockhead!" He laughed. Lloyd joined in on the hug, and soon after, so did Zane.

"I almost thought you left for good!"

"Don't leave us!"

"We're all really sorry!"

"Guys, guys, it's okay. I'm fine," I laughed, hugging them all back, "I just needed a minute to think. Thank you." I said, ruffling Lloyd's hair. We all walked back to the bounty, Kai keeping close to me. It was going to be okay.

Right?

 **Good question, Cole, is it? Muahahaha. Quick question guys, would you want any ships? If so, lavashipping or bruiseshipping? Because I'm debating adding one to the book, as you can see in some of the dialogue. I know this chapter moved a bit fast, and I'm trying to work on pacing things out a bit when writing, I apologize.**

 **Leave reviews telling me how this chapter was and how I can improve!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

(Kai's POV)

Cole. Cole Cole Cole. The only thing on my mind for the past three days. _Gosh, his face when I held him... So cute..._

"Kai?" I snapped out of my thoughts to see Cole's confused face in front of mine, very close. I instantly jumped back, a bright red blush covering my face. He giggled, instantly covering the giggle with a small cough. "You were staring at me. You okay?" He asked. I blushed darker, embarrassed.

"Y-yeah, I'm cool, all good, yep!" I stuttered, smiling softly. He smiled back, walking off into the kitchen. I saw Lloyd staring at me, a large smirk growing on his face. I glared at him, not even wanting to hear his input.

"Youuuu like him!" Lloyd jumped up, doing a stupid little dance, "You like Cole!" I stood up, my cheeks blazing red.

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

I tackled him to the ground, pinning him down. "Okay, fine, you win." I muttered, glaring at him. "I kinda do." He squealed, laughing. I went to give him the biggest wedgie of his life when I heard a squeal from the kitchen.

"JAY!" I instantly recognized the voice as Cole, and I sat up in confusion.

"Jealous much?" Lloyd giggled, and I shoved a pillow in his face.

"Shut up." I replied, getting up and walking to the kitchen to see the commotion. Cake mix was splattered all over the walls, and chocolate chips littered the floor. Jay and Cole were lying on the floor, Jay on top of Cole as he covered the poor Earth Master in cake mix. I felt my ears get hot, jealousy swarming through my veins. "H-hey, what's going on guys?" I asked, walking in. Jay looked up at me, laughing.

"Cake baking." He answered, getting off of Cole, and lying next to him on the floor. "Just cake baking." Cole was still in a fit of laughter, small squeaks and giggles escaping his mouth. I felt my heart skip a beat as I noticed how adorable his laugh truly was. I held out my hand, pulling him to his feet.

"Alright, Mr. Giggles, go clean up. Jay and I will handle this mess." I laughed, ruffling his hair. He left the room, heading off to go shower. I started to clean as Jay walked over to me.

"Hey, uh... Kai?" He asked, "Can I have some advice?"

"Sure, Jay," I replied, a little curious as to what he needed.

"I want to ask Cole out." He admitted, fiddling with his hands. I felt my heart stop for a moment as I realized what he was doing. He was stealing my guy!

"Uh- y'know, I don't think Cole's single. Yeah, no, I'm pretty sure he's seeing someone." I said, feeling kinda guilty for lying to him. He looked up at me, his once bright blue eyes now clouded with sadness.

"O-oh..." He mumbled, "Sorry." I heard him sniffle, and I instantly felt an urge to hug him and comfort him.

"Hey, don't be upset!" I said, hugging him close. "It's okay!" He kept sniffling, obviously trying to contain his tears.

"I-it's just e-ever since Nya and I split, s-she doesn't want me anymore, and I t-thought Cole and I had something!" He cried, hugging me back. All the guilt was swarming my mind. Ugh, why did I ever lie?!

"Hey, hey, shh. I'm sure he's not even really dating anyone, okay?" I said, and he nodded.

"Thanks, Kai. I guess I won't give up on him after all." He smiled, wiping his eyes. He left the room, smiling.

Oh boy. This was war.

(Cole's POV)

I was just doing some training when Kai walked into the training room. "Hey, Kai, what's going on?" I asked, pausing my training session to see him. He smiled, sitting down by the punching bag.

"Nothing much. Just saying hi." He replied. I laughed a bit.

"Okay then." I said, moving back to kick the punching bag.

"Hey Cole?" Kai suddenly interrupted, "About the other day..." I froze, not wanting to think about it. A sigh escaped my lips. "The whole prophecy thing... Does it mean you're leaving us?" He asked, his bright amber eyes locking with mine.

"I don't know, Kai." I answered, taking the training gloves off and placing them aside. "I want to keep you all safe, its my job... But at the same time, I'm the problem. How do I save you all from myself?" I asked, taking a seat by him.

"You don't have to protect us, Cole." He looked at me, his cheeks tinted pink, "Maybe its time we get to protect you." He glanced at me a final time before looking forward, out the window at the setting sun of Ninjago. I felt my heart pounding in my chest, and a smile made its way to my lips.

"Yeah. Maybe it is." I whispered, feeling myself leaning closer to him as I rested my head on his shoulders. He stiffened up immediately before relaxing his shoulders.

"You know, Cole," He mumbled, "You're not as scary as the prophecy claims. You're actually quite soft." He chuckled. I lifted my head, laughing as I playfully glared at him.

"I am not soft!" I argued, a playful smirk on my face. He laughed, nodding his head.

"You are!" He poked my side, causing a giggle to escape my lips. I gasped, covering my mouth. "Oh, _no_ way. You are _not_ telling me that the Great Leader Cole is ticklish!" He got a mischievous look on his face as his hands grazed my sides. I gasped, jumping up and running out of the room.

"JAY HIDE ME!" I squealed, hiding behind the Lightning ninja. He got a confused smile on his face as he 'protected' me.

"Hide you from what?" He asked as Kai ran in. He then realized what was happening. "Ah, the evil Kai is here! Battle stations!" He yelled, throwing the couch onto its side as he and I climbed behind it for protection.

"Get back here!" Kai laughed, attempting to climb over himself, but falling flat on his face. Jay and I burst into laughter as he sat up, laughing as well. "You little nerd!" He yelled, pinning me to the ground. The instant his fingers hit my sides, I burst into giggles and laughter, and tried squirming away from him. Jay got in on the fun, attacking my stomach.

"N-NO, PLEASE!" I yelled, laughing as hard as I could. They joined in on the laughter, laughing evilly at my suffering.

 _Ah, I loved them._

Wait, what?

 **Aha! The sudden realization of the fact that he loves them. Both. And will have to choose one. Yay for relationship triangles! Sorry this chapter was all fun, the next gets a bit more serious.**

 **Leave a review letting me know how you like this so far!**

 **And vote Jay or Kai!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

(Cole's POV)

"Hey, Cole, Cole!" I jolted up, smacking my head on the top bunk. "Come on, we have a mission!" Lloyd was yelling in my ear, not even giving me a chance to move out of bed. I chuckled lightly, getting up.

"Can't even get a good night's sleep, huh?" I joked, getting ready for the day. Lloyd laughed, running out of the room.

"Wake up the others!" He yelled, leaving me to wake up Jay, and the deepest sleeper I've ever met in my life, Kai. I walked over to Kai's bunk, tapping him on the forehead.

"Kai?" I whisper-yelled, trying not to scare him awake. I leaned in closer, trying to see if he was waking up when he suddenly shot up, causing his forehead to smack into mine. "OW!" I yelled, grabbing my forehead in pain. I felt something wet run down the side of my face, Kai gasped.

"Oh fuck, Cole!" He quickly got up. I instantly felt the wetness to see I was crying, I hadn't even noticed. Jay hurried off the top bunk, rushing to my side.

"Cole, are you okay?!" He asked worriedly, and I felt a smile tug at my lips before I started laughing. Kai and Jay both froze, confused, watching me lay on the ground laughing with a throbbing pain in my temple.

"God, that hurt so bad!" I laughed, wiping the tears from my eyes. Kai smiled before joining in the laughter, Jay soon joining in as well. I loved Jay's laugh, how his pitch was in between high and too high, how he couldn't control how loud his laugh was and I'm sure he didn't care. He laughed at everything, and I loved it. I stood up with the help of Kai, and rubbed my forehead. "Alright. Lloyd says we have a mission, so lets get going." I ordered, watching them scramble to get into their ninja suits from their striped pajamas. I walked out to the deck, seeing Zane, Lloyd, and Sensei waiting for us. Kai and Jay soon followed.

"Ninja, it is a good morning," Sensei began, and we all gathered around with smiles on our faces, "I have a mission for all of you. You are to see into the icy mountains for any trouble, as we got a message that there are bandits lurking. Please address the situation as soon as possible. Keep warm." We all nodded, and a chorus of 'Yes, Sensei's' sounded around the room. Sensei walked off, and Jay cheered at the thought of an interesting job. We hadn't had one in a while.

We hurried down the chain to the ground, dropping into the fresh snow. I heard Zane laugh, happy at being in his element. I knew how he felt, being around your element was like taking a huge gulp of fresh, iced water after wandering the desert for years. In other words, it was fricking wonderful.

"Sensei said that the bandits attacked a group headed north near the big mountain. We shall go there." Zane said, leading us to where the alleged attack happened. Surprisingly, there was no sign of struggle or anything, and only a small circular item was left in the snow. Lloyd walked over to grab it, picking it up gently. I saw his eyes widen as he dropped it quickly.

He dove to the ground, yelling, "GUYS, GET DOWN, ITS A-" A huge explosion cut him off, clouds of smoke covering us. I coughed, covering my mouth and nose with my mask. I heard panicked yelling from Jay, and Zane shuffling around.

"Is everyone okay?!" Kai yelled somewhere next to me, and I felt something grab me from behind, and a cold object on my neck.

"G-guys!" I coughed again, and the attacker covered my mouth as the smoke cleared from Zane's icy mist as he tried to clear our surroundings. I heard Jay gasp as he got a look at what was going on.

"Let him go!" Kai ordered, fire in his eyes. I could see Lloyd on the ground, unconscious. Zane was slightly dented, and Jay had a bleeding wound on his cheek. I struggled, only stopping when I felt the cold object press closer to my neck. _Ah, a knife. Classic._ I thought, smiling softly at my sarcasm. A stupid old bandit had nothing on us.

"Why should I?" I heard the sharp voice from my attacker, with a slight hiss in his voice that made my blood run cold. I didn't recognize the voice. Kai ran, attacking the bandit, but was thrown back with sharp force. He landed in the snow, unconscious. _What the heck is this?! No bandit, or snake, should be able to do this! Who IS this guy?!_

Jay suddenly collapsed, his face pale. Zane and I stared back at each other, terrified. What was happening? I saw Zane kneel over, out cold as well. I was afraid. Why was he keeping me awake? I didn't want to see what was to happen to my family. I felt the cold knife leave my throat as I was thrown to the snow. I finally got a look at my attacker.

He was tall, a sharp, menacing grin on his face. His eyes were a striking green, with specks of yellow. They were practically glowing, proving his power. I had to be strong for my team. "What do you want?" I spat at him angrily. He held the knife to my cheek, chuckling.

"Poor, poor innocent Cole." He growled, slashing at my cheek with the knife. I gasped in pain at the sudden cut. "Couldn't even protect your team." He muttered, and everything went dark.

...

I woke up in a dark room, chained to the wall. I blinked a few times, the blurriness of my vision finally clearing. I could see Jay across from me, tied up, hanging from the ceiling. He was still unconscious. Kai was to my right, also chained up. Zane and Lloyd were tied to chairs on my left. "Nngh..." I heard Jay groan as he woke up, instantly panicking. "W-wha?! What's going on?!" This woke up Kai, who too, started struggling. Zane and Lloyd woke up last, calmly studying the room, only a hint of worry on Lloyd's face.

"What's going on?!" Kai yelled. I bit my lip, nervous. The door finally opened to reveal the same attacker from before. He smirked as Kai glared at him.

"Welcome." He laughed, standing in the middle of the room. "The name's Crimson. Crim for short."

"No one cares." I spat, glaring at him. He smirked wider.

"I'm going to choose one of you," He grinned, "to begin a fun little torture session as we figure out what breaks you all. Lucid will be quite happy to see this, and it does sound like fun." He chuckled, walking closer to Jay. My eyes widened and my heart began to beat faster. _Please no, please no, not him, not him..._ "And I'll start with you." He grinned, poking Jay's cheek. I could see the fear in Jay's eyes.

"N-no, don't, please?" Jay mumbled, scared out of his mind. My heart rate increased even more, and before I knew what I was doing, I spoke up.

"Take me!" I yelled, and Crim stopped before turning to me. He was still grinning, a sickly demented look in his eyes. "Take me. Not him. Please." I begged, avoiding eye contact with the Lightning ninja.

"Cole, no!" Kai argued, "Don't!" I shook my head, not answering him.

"Oh, Cole," Crim chuckled, "Lucid knew you would do that." He answered, and my blood ran cold. They wanted this to happen. They knew. The others were silent as he walked over, unlocking the chains from the wall, and forcing me out the door. I bit my lip nervously. It would be okay.

As long as the others were safe.

 **Brave idea. Worrying and sorta stupid, but brave. You go Cole! Hahaha. New chapter up soon. I'm leaving for a few days for Thanksgiving though, just a heads up. I might not bring my computer.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Leave a review? 3**


	5. Chapter 5

(Cole's POV)

It was nearly nighttime when Crim dragged me back to the room. I could see that Lloyd and Jay were sound asleep, but Kai and Zane were wide awake. Crim chained me back to the wall, and left me, slamming the iron door behind him. "Cole! You're back!" Kai yelled, waking Lloyd and Jay, "We were so worried!" I nodded quietly, feeling drained of all energy and emotion.

"Cole, what happened in there?" Jay questioned, his voice softening when he saw the injuries. I was littered with bruises, cuts, and burns. Everything hurt.

"Cole...?" Lloyd asked, scared. I hadn't answered, or even looked at any of them. My mind flashed back to the torturous 7 hours in there.

 _"Let me go!" I yelled, fighting back against Crim. So far he had only caused minor injuries. He grinned._

 _"Cole, you're making SUCH a mistake here." He laughed, "Don't you love your father?" I stopped struggling, glaring at him._

 _"What did you do to him?!" I yelled, anger pulsing through my veins. Crim held up a photo, tossing it to me. It landed on the floor in front of me, and I felt the world crash around me. The photo showed a picture of my dad, dead. They had killed him. "N-no... What did you do...?" I mumbled in shock. Another photo landed in front of me, and my heart stopped. Jay. They had hurt him, too. "N-no, I have to protect them! You can't do this!" I yelled, struggling against the chains._

 _A searing pain went through me as I was electrocuted. Crim laughed, electrocuted me once again. I fell to the ground in pain. "Now let's see what hurts you the most." He grinned, and Kai stepped out next to him. "Hey, Cole." Kai smiled, an evil look in his eyes. I stared at him, in pain._

 _"K-kai?" I asked, trying to get up. He shoved me back down with his foot, and I winced in pain._

 _"Let him suffer. He's worthless." Kai said to Crim, and my heart broke. He shoved me one last time before turning away. "You know, Cole, you were so worried about protecting all of us. Well, now we're protecting ourselves. From you." He turned to Crim, "Everyone in the room voted on killing him. Go ahead." He walked out of the room, shutting the door._

 _"No, NO!" I yelled, trying to get up. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I felt myself losing my strength. "NO! KAI, PLEASE!" I sobbed, feeling broken._

 _Broken._

I snapped out of the flashback to notice tears were dripping down my face onto my hands. Everyone in the room was silent, except for Kai. "C-cole, we could hear you screaming from here. You sounded like you were in so much pain. What did he do...?" Kai put a hand on my shoulder. I jerked away, sniffling loudly.

"Like any of you ever cared." I muttered, and half of them gasped.

"Cole, we care!" Jay argued, but I shook my head.

"None of you care. Liars." I look up at Jay, glaring at him. I noticed there was no sign of injuries on him, and I frowned in confusion. "Did... Did they not hurt you, Jay?" I asked. He shook his head no.

"They only came back to check if we were still here." He answered. I turned to Kai.

"You... Didn't say all of those things..." I mumbled and he looked at me in confusion.

"We were all waiting here for you." He said. I nodded, looking back at the floor. I didn't know if I should believe them or not.

"Alright, well, crybabies," Lloyd said, standing up. He had the rope once bound around him in his hands. "I'm escaping. How about you?" He grinned. Everyone cheered, except for me.

 _They're against you._

What?

 _The team is against you. They don't want you anymore._

They're... Against me...

"Cole?" I looked up to see Kai in front of me, unchained. Lloyd had freed everyone. Kai pulled me into a hug, rubbing my back. "You look like you needed a hug." He said. I nodded, hugging him back.

After a minute, we separated. Lloyd was already tunneling his way through the wall using his power, and Jay was cheering him on. Zane was watching Jay's stupid cheering, laughing at the foolery. Kai smiled at me. "Some heroes, huh?" He joked, and I laughed. He was right. We were a really dorky team. It was such a great team.

But it wasn't my team.

 **How do you guys like Crim? You'll meet Lotus later, too. Good characters, good characters. Jk. They're awful. I almost changed Crim's name to Creed but I really like Crim a lot.**

 **Leave a review!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **(p.s. vote Jay or Kai)**


	6. Chapter 6

(Cole's POV)

Escaping was never this easy. Something wasn't right, I could tell. "Guys, this isn't right..." I whispered as we wandered the tunnel Lloyd was creating under the building. Jay shushed me.

Anxiety and worry crept up around my mind, sending me into a slight panic. "Please..." I mumbled, worried. Jay ignored me. A sickening feeling grew in my stomach.

"Cole, we're fine!" Kai argued, and I shut my mouth. Something inside me started to get mad, annoyed with being shushed away. Lloyd noticed this and whispered something to Zane who glanced my way. The sickening feeling grew more and more.

"What?!" I growled, my fists clenching. I got angrier. Kai stopped and stepped back.

"Woah, Cole, chill," He said, "What's wrong?" He asked. Something inside me kept growing angrier with my team. Things started getting fuzzy, and I felt my cheeks getting hot. I couldn't control my anger!

Kai put a hand on my shoulder, and I grabbed his arm, flipping him. I shoved him down, anger pulsing through my veins. "COLE, STOP!" Jay yelled, and I felt the ground shaking below me. I turned to the rest of them and glared.

"I don't need any of you liars." I spat at them, the words burning my mouth like venom, "I don't trust you!" The ground shook violently, small cracks appearing in the earth below us. _Please calm down, please calm down!_ I pleaded to myself but I couldn't, I didn't even know what set me off.

Suddenly the shaking stopped and I felt myself calm down. My eyes went wide, and I hugged Kai close. "I'm so, so sorry." I apologized, burying my face in his neck. I pulled away after a moment, looking at my team. Jay nodded, smiling, and Lloyd pat my back.

"All forgiven," He said, but something felt wrong. We hurried through the tunnel until we reached the outside. We began to leave when I was stopped by someone grabbing my arm.

"Stop." I turned to see Crim, and I looked to the others for help, only to see that they had hurried ahead without checking for me. I tried to yank him off but he held on, calm. "Cole, please." He begged, and I stopped when I saw his eyes full of regret. He pulled me close, holding my head to his chest. "I'm so sorry, Cole. I shouldn't have hurt you."

I was full of confusion when he pulled away. "Why are you being nice to me?" I asked, confused and suspicious. He smiled softly, his burgundy eyes looking into my emerald ones.

"Cole, I see so much in you," He said, and I felt my face get hot out of embarrassment, "I like you. I want to be near you, to protect you." He said.

"WHAT?!" I turned to see the team had returned. Kai and Jay were practically fuming. "NO WAY! NO!" Jay yelled, running at Crim, causing Zane to grab him before he could attack.

"Cole, don't listen to him!" Lloyd yelled. I glanced back at Crim, and looked at my team. Kai and I made eye contact, his eyes full of worry. I looked over, making eye contact with Jay who held the same look. I turned to Crim, his eyes content, his body language calm. I felt overwhelmed.

"I-I..." I stuttered, speechless for once. I hadn't felt this much pressure since my dad made me perform the Triple Tiger Sashay in front of an audience when I was young.

"Cole." Crim whispered close to my ear, and I felt my face turning red. I was so glad I had my mask on. His hand made its way to mine, holding it tight. "They don't appreciate you like I do." I frowned, feeling like he was wrong. My team appreciated me very much. Kai stormed over, separating our hands.

"Leave him alone!" He yelled, "He doesn't want you!" I felt my heart speed up as I looked at them all.

"I..." I spoke, and they all stopped to listen, "I-I..."

 _They're not your team._

"I..."

 _They lie to you, they don't need you._

"I..."

 _Start over. Start over. Start over._

"I-I- Crim." I spoke without even meaning to, and I saw the others stand there, shocked. I felt my heart beating, not even understanding what made me say that. I felt like I wasn't under control of my own mind. Crim smirked at the others, grabbing me close. I looked up at him, confused, and looked back at my team.

I made eye contact with Kai, and he noticed my expression. "Wait." He said, grabbing me back, "You're not letting him choose." Kai accused Crim, pointing at him. Crim frowned.

"He chose me." Crim argued.

"You did something to him!" Kai yelled, pulling out his sword. The sick feeling returned.

"I did nothing!" Crim yelled, "You did!" Kai stopped, confused. "You all don't appreciate him for who he is! You don't love him!" Crim yelled. I felt my heart flutter. _He... appreciated me..._

"Cole, don't leave us!" Lloyd yelled, and I felt the sick feeling grow again. My head got fuzzy, and I stumbled back.

"I-I can't..." I whimpered, before turning around and booking it into the woods. I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it.

(Kai's POV)

I watched as Cole ran. "What's your problem?!" I yelled at Crim, and his smirk grew.

"Pathetic. You ninja have so much emotion." He chuckled, shaking his head, "I'll find him and kill him in the morning. I doubt you'll find him anyway. I doubt he'd want you to." He replied.

"What do you mean?" Jay asked, concerned.

"I can manipulate minds, Blueberry." He laughed, and Jay gasped.

"We have to find Cole!" I yelled, and we rushed into the woods after him, Crim laughing as we ran.

 _Please be okay, Cole, please._

 **Short chapter, so sorry. I decided to take an unexpected turn with this chapter. Like it? And I realize last chapter that I accidentally said Lotus instead of Lucid, sorry. I'll avoid doing that again.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews! So I decided the winner is... Kai!**

 **But I'm wondering if you would want Jay and Zane or Jay and Lloyd together?**

 **Or maybe even Crim with someone...**

 **Anyway, let me know how you liked the chapter! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

(Cole's POV)

I ran until I reached a mountain, quickly climbing to the top to take shelter for the night. I didn't want anyone to find me. Tears cascaded down my cheeks as I came to the realization that I lost him, I lost the man I loved. He was gone. _God, Kai, why did this have to happen..._

Part of me fought to go back, but the other half knew that if I did, things would go bad again. Earlier when I lost control, the prophecy almost came true. I can't handle more things like that happening. As much as I hated to admit it, I'm fragile when it comes to emotions and choices between people. Part of the reason why I backed off of Nya and Jay's thing, because I couldn't handle it. And now- some crazy killer likes me? And Kai and Jay's reactions-

 _OH GOD THEY LIKE ME. THEY ALL LIKE ME._ I facepalmed at the realization, groaning. How the heck do people like me?! I'm lame and rude! Nothing about me was likable! And how did I not notice the whole time?

"Cole." I heard someone whisper behind me, and I whirled around to see nothing. I cocked my head in confusion. "Cole." I heard the same voice behind me again, and I turned.

There stood a tall, beautiful woman in a white dress with flowing black hair and bright green eyes. I felt my eyes water slightly as I realized who she was. "M-mom...?" I whispered, not trusting my own voice. She smiled softly and held out her arms.

"Come here, son." She replied. I ran to her and hugged her close. It had been 15 years since she disappeared from my life, and I never questioned where she went because it sent my father into such a depression. I hugged her close to me, crying.

"Where did y-you go?!" I asked, looking up at her. She pat my head, giggling, a sound that was like music to my ears.

"Oh, Cole, I had to go to protect you." She answered.

"Dad never even told me your name! He shut me out when you left!" I sobbed, and she wiped away my tears. "W-what is your name, mom?" I whimpered. She smiled wider, kissing my forehead before answering.

"Lucid."

(Jay's POV)

We had been trekking the woods for a few hours looking for Cole. He was nowhere to be seen. I sighed, pulling Kai aside. "Kai?" I asked, and he looked at me.

"Yeah?" He asked, confused.

"Do you love Cole?" I asked quickly, but quietly so no one else heard. Kai stuttered, his face turning red.

"N-no!" He argued, but I glared at him. "Ugh... Fine... I do. I'm sorry, Jay." He answered. I felt my heart drop, but I forced a smile on my face.

"Don't be," I said, "He deserves you. Not me." Kai looked confused, and he stopped me as everyone walked ahead.

"I can't do that to you, Jay!" He whispered, "My sister already snapped your heart! I can't do it too!" I laughed dryly, hugging him gently.

"I trust you'll be great for him. He loves you, Kai. I can tell." I nodded, and stepped back. Kai smiled after a few moments of heavy silence.

"Thank you, Jay." He finally said, and I nodded. He ran ahead to catch up with the others, but I stayed behind, trudging along.

Why didn't it feel right to let him go? My heart felt heavy, and my stomach felt sick. Everything hurt. I couldn't believe it happened again, someone stealing away the love of my life. First Nya drops me like I'm nothing, and now her _brother_ steals Cole? Unfair. It was all unfair.

I suddenly realized I wasn't moving anymore. I had ran into something. "What the..." I began to say, and looked up at the person.

"Hello, Blueberry." Crim grinned evilly, and I felt my heart stop.

 _Oh, great._

(Cole's POV)

I followed my mom back to her place, asking questions the whole way. "Wait, so you and Crim work together?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yes, he's my partner." She answered, "And he wasn't supposed to do what he did to you. I'm going to have to talk to him." I hummed in reply, agreeing.

"He really messed everything up for me." I mumbled, and she ruffled my hair. I suddenly realized something. "Oh, mom, we have to go grab my friends! They're looking for me!" I said and she held my head.

"Cole, calm down. They're fine." She said, leading me into the large building. I frowned.

"Mom, they could get hurt!" I argued, and she looked down at me with a frown. I instantly pulled my hand away, stepping back. Her eyes were... blue. "You... aren't my mother...!" I yelled, dashing out of the building. I heard quick footsteps behind me and I instantly dove into a room where she couldn't see me. I saw her run by, and finally let the breath I was holding go.

"Cole!" I looked over to see Kai across the room. My face broke into a grin and I ran to him.

"You're okay!" I yelled, and hugged him. "Thank god, I was so worried!" He hugged me back, and I nuzzled my face into his chest like I always do to him. I listened to his heart beat, but something was wrong.

There was no heart beat.

I stepped back, looking at him. "Kai...?" I mumbled, concerned. He grinned, and right before my eyes, shape shifted into a tall woman with long brown hair and striking blue eyes, almost as bright as Jay's. I glared at her. "Lucid." I spat, getting into a fighting stance.

"Oh, Cole, you're so gullible." She laughed, "You really thought Kai, or even your _mother_ would come back for you?" She took a step towards me. "They _left_ you, Cole. All alone." She grinned when she saw my stance loosen. "All alone. No one wanted you. You want the truth about your mother?" I bit my lip, prepared for the worst. "She didn't want you, Cole! And guess who else didn't want you? That's right, your beloved Kai!" I felt angry tears well up in my eyes, and I shook my head.

"You're wrong!" I yelled, but she took another step closer.

"Am I, Cole?" She got closer to me, "You know I'm not. You know." My heart sank as I looked to the ground, feeling my heart shatter as I realized my mother hadn't ever come back for me.

"S-she loves me." I argued, tears dripping to the floor. Lucid lifted my chin so we were face to face, and stared me in the eye.

"No one could ever love you."

And I snapped.

 **Muahahahah.**

 **Alright, so I was thinking I could do a chapter that's me answering questions you ask me, or you could ask the characters from the book! Just fill out this form in the reviews:**

 **To: (insert character)**

 **(insert message)**

 **And I'll answer them all in the next chappie!**

 **Also, how do y'all like Lucid? Hhaha, isn't she great? And how do you like Crim? :))**

 **Leave a review! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

(Cole's POV)

Anger and sadness ripped through me like a knife as I shoved Lucid away. The ground trembled violently, cracks breaking the dirt. Lucid smirked at me, causing another wave of anger to flood through me. My hands glowed with power as I felt my true form break through. "If what you want is the end of the world, _have it!_ " I yelled, almost in a roar. The ground cracked in half, cracks spreading across the area. I flung rock at Lucid, watching as she disappeared before my eyes. " _I WILL KILL YOU!"_ I screamed as loud as possible so she could hear, stomping out of the room. I watched as the tops of the mountains began to crumble, and the building fell to dust. I punched the ground, causing another wave of violent shaking.

The anger was so intense that it blurred my vision and hearing, and I couldn't control my mind or body. I smirked as I saw a nearby village. "You'll all pay for this. All of you." I muttered, calming the quakes and heading into the village. I passed through as houses crumbled, and families fled for safety. I grabbed a nearby passing person, holding them by the shirt. "Find the ninja. Tell them I'm coming for them." I muttered, and he nodded in fear, running off as soon as I let him go.

Ah, this felt good.

I glared in the direction of the main building, sending it crashing to the ground. This was only the beginning.

(Kai's POV)

"WHERE IS HE?!" I yelled as the others and I ran around searching for Cole. The quakes got worse as trees fell around us. "THE PROPHECY IS COMING TRUE!"

"THIS WAY!" Zane yelled, and we followed him. We ran into a pedestrian, far from home.

"C-cole sent me to find you! He said he's coming for you!" The poor man shook in fear, and I nodded.

"Thank you!" I yelled as we ran past to the nearby village. Houses were crumbling to the ground, and cracks in the earth were visible. Lloyd gasped as he saw many people injured or dead.

"W-what has he done...?" Lloyd whispered to himself, and I clenched my fists. My Cole would never do this. I needed to get my Cole back. We ran into the village, helping as many a we could. I was in the middle of helping a small child out from his home when a tremor sent me flying into a wall.

"Well, well, well," Cole laughed, and we all turned to see him standing a few feet behind us, "If it isn't my old team. Nice to see you all!" He smirked, his eyes shining a bright, uneasy green. Lloyd helped the children and pedestrians escape into a safe area.

"Cole, stop!" Zane yelled, "We aren't here to fight you!" Cole just laughed at that before sending Zane hurdling towards the ground as well.

"I'm done with all of you." He muttered, smile disappearing as his eyes became brighter. "I'll be seeing you all in Hell after this." He lifted a boulder with his energy, throwing it in our direction. I jumped up, kicking it away.

"Cole, please! We don't want to hurt you!" I begged. He laughed again, shaking his head. He and I made eye contact, and I could see the hurt and anger in his eyes.

"You already have." He replied, and I bit my lip nervously.

"Cole, last chance," Lloyd warned, "We don't want to fight you." Suddenly another boulder came flying at Lloyd. "Okay, chances over! Ninja, attack!" Lloyd demanded, and we jumped into action. Zane sent a flying kick in Cole's direction, but Cole just hit him away. Lloyd knocked him to the ground, and Cole jumped back up quickly, ready for the next move.

I conjured a majority of my power into a fireball, sending it flying at Cole. It hit him in the leg, and he yelled in pain. I bit my lip, not wanting to hurt my Earth ninja. Lloyd grabbed his arm, electrocuting him harshly. He screeched in pain again, throwing Lloyd off of him. The ground shook harder, deep crevices forming. Zane rushed to evacuate the village and get them out of harm's way.

I gasped as a bolt of lightning flew from behind me, hitting Cole in the chest. "Hey Boulderhead!" I turned to see Jay, and I smiled, glad he was safe. "Come and get it!" Jay yelled, sending another bolt at him. Cole growled, throwing flying boulders at him, and Jay dodged them.

"What happened to you?!" I yelled, keeping a conversation as we fought off Cole's attacks.

"Crim! He tried to kidnap me, but I was able to talk some sense into the guy!" Jay answered, sending more lightning strikes at Cole. We hopped behind a wall to take a breather and keep shelter. "He's actually a decent guy!" Jay smiled, a light blush on his face. I suddenly understood.

"Oooh, you two definitely kissed!" I teased, and Jay smacked me.

"Did not!" He argued, and I laughed. The wall crumbled behind us, and we jumped back into action. Lloyd was fighting Cole's attacks, getting closer every second. Out of nowhere, the earthquakes stopped. Lloyd stopped fighting, watching as Cole crumbled to the ground.

"Cole!" I yelled, rushing over to him. Zane grabbed me, shaking his head.

"He's not himself, Kai." Zane warned, and Cole grabbed his head, gasping in pain.

"P-please," He looked up at us, "Please stop me. I can't control it." He pleaded, tears brimming his eyes. My heart broke, and I reached out again only to have Zane stop me. "K-kill me, please. Please." He begged. I turned to Lloyd, who didn't return my gaze.

"We can't do that..." Jay whispered beside me, his voice quivering slightly. Cole yelled in pain again, clenching his fists.

"P-PLEASE! IT HURTS!" He yelled, glaring up at us, his eyes flashing the unsettling bright green from earlier. We all stepped back in fear as he stood. He wobbled a bit as he stepped forward. His head dropped to look at the floor, before he looked back up at us with those bright green eyes and an evil grin. "It's gone." He laughed, an eerie laugh that sent a shiver down my spine.

"W-what do you mean?" I asked, shaking slightly. Cole made eye contact again with me, and this time I saw that all other emotion beside anger and hurt was suddenly gone.

"Everyone has a perfect yin/yang of evil and good." He explained, lifting many boulders with his power, starting up the earthquakes again, "And I've finally broken the good inside of me. The prophecy is fulfilled. It's time I get revenge for everything this world did to me! For all the pain you _brats_ caused me!" He yelled, flinging the stones at us. We dodged the attack, and turned to see he was gone.

 _This isn't good._

 **Big surprise, he's evil now. So I decided to update a second time because is being weird and is saying my last update from a few hours ago was an update from yesterday, and so not a lot of people saw it? Reminder, leave questions for me or the characters!**

 **Character list: Crim, Lucid, Cole, Jay, Kai, Zane, Lloyd, Sensei Wu, Nya, and I think that's all of them so far. Just fill out this form in a review:**

 **To: (insert character)**

 **(insert question/message)**

 **And they will be answered in the next chapter since I updated twice today! Yay! I'll give it a day or so for replies.**

 **Also, do you guys like the Crim/Jay pairing or do you prefer Crim to stay out of it? I think him calling Jay 'blueberry' is quite cute. And did they kiss or not? Who knows. You could ask ;)**

 **Leave a review! Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

(Kai's POV)

"We have to find him!" I argued back at Zane and Jay. It had been 24 hours, and there was still no sign of Cole anywhere. "He could be anywhere!" Zane and Jay were seated at the table in the Bounty while Nya and Lloyd reviewed security footage.

"Kai, we'll find him." Zane replied, and I shook my head in response.

"We have to find him NOW!" I yelled, and Jay stood up, placing his hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

"We'll find him." Lloyd said, walking into the room. He had just finished a nap after watching security footage for any signs of quakes or tremors nearby. There had been none so far.

"You saw how he was!" I whimpered, "Anything could have happened to him..." I moved away from Jay, beginning to pace again.

"Kai, I promise, he'll be okay." Jay said, stepping closer to me. "He's strong, Kai. Stronger than any of us." I whined, biting my lip anxiously.

Nya ran into the room, panic written on her face.

"He was just spotted at Marty Oppenheimer!" She yelled, and we rushed to get into our suits.

"He's going after everyone who ever hurt him..." Lloyd thought aloud as we rushed into action. I gasped, understanding his motive.

"He's going after his dad!"

(Cole's POV)

Violent tremors attacked the grounds of the school, sending debris flying to the ground as the school slowly crumbled. I smirked, walking towards the school, calm. He was going to pay for everything. Sending me into a spiral of embarrassment and self hatred by having me ruin my reputation over a stupid dance move I couldn't do. Sending me to this annoying dance academy, trying to remake me. He would pay. "Where are you, you old jerk..." I mumbled, hurrying through the halls. I burst into a classroom, sending students screaming and running out the doors. "WHERE IS HE?!" I yelled, growling when there was no reply.

"C-cole?" I grinned, turning to see my father. "What are you doing, son?" He asked, voice quivering.

"Nice to see you again, old man." I laughed, "But it's time to repay my respects." I jumped into action, sending a flying kick in his direction before I was hit off by a sudden force. I groaned, shaking my head before looking at my attacker. "Kai?! You again?!" I growled, getting up. "I thought I got rid of you idiots!" Zane rushed off out of the unstable building with my dad. "He's getting away!" I growled, glaring at the team. I lifted building chunks with my powers, throwing them at the team. I used the time to duck past them, rushing after Zane.

I caught up with the two, kicking Zane aside, facing my father. I clenched my fist, ready to hit him, and I raised my fist.

"No!" I felt someone grab my arm. Jay. I growled, throwing him to the ground

" _Don't_ TOUCH me!" I yelled, stepping on his chest, pressing down as hard as I could. He cried out in pain, and I smirked as I heard cracking below my foot.

"Let him go!" Lloyd yelled, shoving me off. I smirked at the crimson liquid seeping out from under Jay as he gasped in pain. "JAY!" Lloyd yelled, worried for him. I grabbed the blue ninja, rushing out of the building. The others rushed after me, and I quickly whipped out my scythe, holding the blade to Jay's throat.

"Don't come any closer." I warned, pressing the scythe against his fragile skin. He groaned in pain, and I could tell that I had cracked some ribs, causing them to puncture his skin.

"Please, Cole, stop!" Kai begged, not knowing what to do for the blue ninja. I laughed, shaking my head.

"He deserves it." I muttered, moving my hand the slightest, causing a trickle of blood from the new cut on his neck. He cried out in pain, a single tear trickling down his cheek.

A dark figure dashed in front of me, and I looked up at the mysterious person. "Let him go. Now." I scoffed.

"What are you going to do about it, Crim?" I mocked, "You don't even care about him." I muttered, glaring at Crim. He grit his teeth, grabbing my scythe and tossing it to the side. I gasped, eyes widening in fear. I dropped Jay in shock, fear taking over my mind. It didn't matter what state I was in, this guy was terrifying. He grabbed me by the shirt, pulling me up to face him eye to eye.

"I would give the world for him." He muttered, his burgundy eyes sparkling as a mischievous grin appeared on his face. "You're so screwed, Cole." He laughed, tossing me to the others, who were holding out a net ready to capture me. I struggled as they wrapped the net around me, tying it shut. Crim picked Jay up, holding him close. "Jay..? Can you hear me, Blueberry?" He whispered, planting a kiss on one of his perfectly chubby freckled cheeks. Jay groaned, stirring, opening one eye.

"Crim...?" He whimpered, nuzzling closer to the muscular chest. A soft smile appeared on his face, and he coughed weakly. "You care about me..."

"Always," Crim replied, ending the hug to cup Jay's freckled cheek in his hand, staring into his sparkling blue eyes. "I will always come back for you."

I growled at the two, using my power to create a crack between them, throwing them aside. "Crim!" He yelled as I clenched my fists, tossing him away from his tall, blonde lover. He gasped as his back hit the wall of the school building. I bit my lip, the old me fighting to escape before I could do what I thought of doing next.

I pushed my regret away, using the last of my energy to send the building crashing down right on top of the poor blue ninja.

 **I didn't get a lot of comments on the question thingy from the last two chapters unfortunately. I'm not sure if people are liking the book? If not, I don't think I'll continue. I was planning in making this a series about each one of them, but I don't know. Feedback on this idea? Thanks.**


	10. Chapter 10- Crimson Hearts Filler

**This is a filler chapter on what happened with Jay and Crim because I knew you guys would want it.**

(Jay's POV)

I stumbled back, "H-hey, get away! I need to find my friend!" I yelled, and Crim just laughed, grabbing my arm. He tripped me, causing me to fall to the ground. I felt something tie around my hands, and I saw that he had tied me up with rope. "What the heck?!" I yelled, panicked.

He sat beside me, starting a small fire. "We're taking shelter for the night." He replied, and I groaned.

"What do you want with me? Let me go!" I yelled. Where were the others?

"Nope." He said, resting his hands over the fire. I squirmed, trying to break the rope, but it wouldn't work. After nearly half an hour of silence, I spoke.

"So... Where are you from?" I asked, curious. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, and I felt my cheeks turn red in embarrassment.

He sighed, sitting up all the way to look at me. "Ninjago City. I was born there. Raised there." He replied. I nodded, listening. "My mother and father weren't that educated, and they didn't have a lot of money, so I didn't get to go to school often."

"Really? Me too! I was homeschooled!" I said, gasping in excitement. He smiled a little bit at my enthusiasm.

"Yeah?" He said, and I nodded. "I moved out when I was 16 to go find work. At one point, my dad got really sick. He couldn't support the family anymore." He explained, "And he ended up dying when I was 17. My mom died soon after." I frowned, feeling bad for the guy.

"I'm really sorry," I apologized, sympathetic of the guy. He just shook his head.

"I've had a long time to get over it. After that, I met Lotus, and she sorta became my new mom in a way." He explained. I stopped to think.

"Wait, so is your name actually Crimson?" I asked aloud. He laughed, shaking his head at the random question, and I smiled.

"Nah." He answered, "It's Xavier. I prefer Crim though. Crimson. It's the color of my eyes. Lotus came up with it." He replied, smirking slightly. I felt my heart flutter.

"Xavier..." I mumbled, and he ducked his head down. I noticed a pink blush on his cheeks. "I like it. A lot."

"You do?" He asked, looking back up at me. I made eye contact with him, my bright blues meeting his dark reds. I smiled, feeling as if my heart had taken flight into the night.

"Yeah." I said, nearly breathless, "I really do." I was enchanted by those eyes, almost as if they were hypnotizing me. I loved the color. Red was always my favorite. I had gotten tired of blue after a while.

He looked away, and I snapped out of my thoughts. "Why did you do all that to Cole?" I asked suddenly. He looked back at me, regret flashing in his eyes.

"I don't know." He answered, "It's been my job for so long. It didn't feel any different to what I usually do until-" He suddenly stopped, shutting his mouth.

"Until...? I questioned, and he blushed.

"I, uh... I regretted it when I met you." He admitted, "You... Remind me of something I once had." I blushed, my heart pounding in my chest.

"What..." I whispered before raising my voice, "What do I remind you of?" I asked, biting my lip slightly. He looked at me, leaning in closer.

"You make me _happy_ , Jay." He whispered, staring right at me. My eyes widened, shocked. "You remind me of how happy people should be." He said, glancing down at the ground. I took the pause to lean in, kissing him, feeling his whole body stiffen up before he relaxed into it. I had never felt something so real, so meaningful. Though the time we knew each other was short, it felt like what he said was true. I was willing to try. I always was.

We pulled away after a moment. He reached over, untying me. "Go kick Cole's ass, Blueberry." He kissed me on the forehead, "I'll come back for you." He said, and got up. "I have to go take care of something." He ran off quickly, and left me. Heart beating, cheeks bright red.

I was in love.

 **Okay yes, they're a cheesy couple, but it's just cute crushes and hope for love, okay? I SHIP THEM ALRIGHT?!**

 **Also, the questions for the characters are still open! No one has asked yet, and I'll stop bringing it up if it keeps failing. Just fill out the form:**

 **To: (insert character)**

 **(insert question/comment)**

 **And they will reply at the end of chapters! You can also ask anything about me :)**

 **Thanks for reading, please leave a review!**


	11. Chapter 11

(Crim's POV)

"NO!" I screamed in horror as the building collapsed on Jay, covering him in rubble and debris. "JAY!" I rushed over to the building, trying to dig him out. Three figures joined me, trying to find him. I sobbed quietly, not ready to lose him. He was the first person I've felt love over since my parents died.

"Oh, god, oh god, Jay!" I heard Zane panic, something he doesn't usually do. I watched as he pushed the rubble aside, pulling Jay out of the mess. Jay was covered in blood from a wound on his forehead, and multiple cuts and bruises all over his body. There was a deep cut in his leg, and wrist seemed to be broken. I rushed over, grabbing him from Zane and hugging him close.

"Jay please," I mumbled, searching desperately for a heartbeat.

There was none.

I sobbed into his once fluffy red hair, pressing my cheek against his chubby freckled one. Kai and Lloyd stood there, shocked at the sight of their teammate and brother. Zane was already phoning Nya to bring the ship and prepare emergency medical gear. I held Jay close for a few more moments, wishing he would just wake up. I gently placed him down as if he were a fragile piece of glass, and I stood, turning to the black ninja in the net. "You..." I growled, swearing to myself that I'd avenge Jay, "You did this..." Kai tried to reason with me.

"Crim, please, he's not really Cole, he's not himself!" Kai begged, trying to protect Cole. I walked over to the net, ripping it, and yanking the black haired ninja out of it.

"Wha...?" He mumbled, looking up at me. He seemed out of it. "What happened...? Kai?" He looked around, confused. His eyes fell on my Jay, and he stopped. "J-Jay..." I growled, punching him in the cheek.

"YOU DID THAT TO HIM!" I yelled, shoving him to the ground, kicking him in the stomach. He gasped in pain, doubling over.

"W-what, I d-didn't.." He stuttered, and I punched him again before he could finish his sentence. I didn't care that he was finally back to himself. I wanted revenge.

"YOU MONSTER! YOU KILLED HIM!" I grabbed him, smacking him into a tree, and getting into his face. He was utterly confused and terrified, and he kept glancing at Jay. I hit him repeatedly until I smashed his head into the tree, watching as he blacked out.

Kai ran over, blocking me from hurting him more. "Crim, he didn't mean to!" He argued, and I shook my head.

"I'm going to kill-"

"HE'S ALIVE!" I heard Lloyd cheer, and I turned around quickly to see Zane had used one of his wires to electrocute Jay, causing his heart to start up again. "JAY'S ALIVE!" Lloyd laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes. I felt my heart stop before I ran to my Jay, pulling him close.

"Jay! Jay, oh god, can you hear me?!" I rubbed his cheek gently with my thumb, staring into those beautiful blues I loved. He smiled lightly up at me before passing out again from his injuries. Worry clouded my happiness again, and I quickly turned to Zane for help. I saw him staring at Jay, and I noticed the look to be the same look I see Kai give Cole all the time. He loved him. I bit my lip, keeping my jealousy to myself, and pulled Jay even closer to me.

The ship landed nearby, and we quickly helped Jay aboard, and then Cole. I scowled as Kai and Lloyd helped that disgrace aboard, and into the med room where Jay was. "No. He's not going in there." I ordered, "He's dangerous." Kai glared at me, gently putting Cole into the hospital bed by Jay's.

"He's fine." Kai said, sitting on a stool beside Cole, gently playing with his hair as Nya patched him up. Lloyd and Zane were quickly working on Jay, and I silently prayed that he'd pull through painlessly.

Cole groaned, waking up again. "Kai...?" He whispered, voice hoarse. Kai grinned, tears of joy welling up in his eyes.

"Hey, Boulderhead..." He laughed softly, sniffling, "You worried us a whole lot." Cole looked confused, and Kai began to explain everything. I walked over to Jay's bed, giving the two some privacy.

"Is he doing okay..?" I asked. Lloyd nodded.

"Pulling through like a champion!" He smiled, and I felt relieved for my Blueberry.

"That's my Jay." I grinned, kissing Jay's forehead, "Strong and adorable." I commented. Lloyd made a fake throwing up sound, and Zane just smiled politely.

"Indeed. He is a special one." Zane said, and Lloyd glanced at me before glancing at Zane.

"Ooh..." He said to himself, understanding. He slowly backed away, heading out of the room. I glared at Zane, glad a curtain was between Cole's bed and Jay's bed.

"Back off." I warned, and Zane looked up at me, a little surprised.

"Excuse me?" He asked, confused.

"Back off, Jay's mine." I growled, and he raised an eyebrow before he started laughing. I dropped my tough guy act in confusion, feeling a bit silly as he laughed at me. "D-don't laugh at me!" I growled, embarrassed.

"B-back off!" Zane laughed, "Back off? Of what? My brother?" I bit my lip, feeling incredibly foolish and embarrassed.

"Y-you... You don't _like_ him?" I asked, and Zane shook his head.

"He's my best friend! I love him to death, but he's made for you." Zane said, playing with the little curl of hair in the front of Jay's hair. "Just take care of him, please." He looked up at me, his eyes a cold, terrifying blue. "Or else I will have to destroy you." He muttered, before going straight back into his happy self, leaving the room when he was sure Jay was stable.

I sat there in shock, finding myself suddenly afraid of nindroids.

 **Crim finally found something he's afraid of, hah! And poor Cole, getting beat up right when he finally gets to his normal self for reasons he doesn't understand. More emotional toll on his part. But Cole's evil reign isn't over yet :).**

 **And we got our first question!  
_**

 **From Lilystem83 to Jay:**

How did you survive after your ribs were crushed?

 _Jay:_

 _Well they were only cracked, luckily, but any further than that and I think I would've been a goner. The building crushing me was a nice addition to that. Thanks a lot, Cole. Thanks for asking though, at least someone around here appreciates my dramatic near-death scenes. I work hard on those!_

 **Leave more questions/comments to the characters, and leave a review on how you like the story so far! Thanks!**


	12. Chapter 12

(Crim's POV)

"A-agh, it hurts Kai! It hurts!" I groaned, shoving my head into the pillow to block out the screams. Cole had been yelling like that all night.

"Shut up!" My voice was muffled by my pillow, but Kai still heard it through the curtain.

"Screw you, Crim!" He growled, pushing the curtain open, "He can't help it!" He groaned, turning back to the still whining black ninja. I felt Jay stirring in the bed, and I held his hand to calm him. Cole's squirming and complaining got louder, and I heard Kai quietly mumble, "Shh. They can't know."

"Can't know what?" I asked, walking over. Cole looked at me, his eyes full of pain. They were flashing that light emerald that I remembered from the past incidents. "Kai! He's dangerous!" I yelled, pulling Kai away. The moment Kai's hand left Cole's, Cole fell unconscious, and his heart monitor went wild. "ZANE! LLOYD! ANYONE!" I yelled, worried.

Zane and Lloyd ran in, and Zane instantly went to Cole's side to find out what was wrong. Cole's breathing was irregular, as if he wasn't able to breathe. He coughed up blood, his heart monitor beeping like crazy.

"Cole, oh god, Cole!" Lloyd panicked, seeing the blood. I shielded his eyes, holding him close to me. He was still mentally young, he didn't need to see this. Cole writhed in pain before stopping, an unsettling monotone beep filling the room. Lloyd ran to Cole's side, using his lightning to shock his chest, trying to get his heart started again.

Cole sat up, gasping, holding his chest. "C-cole?" Lloyd whimpered.

Cole grabbed Lloyd's arm, gasping out in pain, "I-I can't breathe," Lloyd looked to Zane for help, unsure of what to do. Kai stepped over, taking Cole's hand in his and suddenly all was calm again. Cole was breathing fine, and his heart rate was normal. Cole whimpered in pain a few times, but he seemed back to himself.

"We hurt him." I heard Kai whisper, gently rubbing Cole's hand, "We hurt him so bad that his powers took over the sadness and hurt and created evil out of it." Zane looked up, concerned.

"Are you sure?" He asked, and Kai nodded.

"I talked with Sensei earlier when Lloyd was caring for Cole. It seemed like the only logical explanation. His heart is broken. We have to mend it." Kai replied, biting his lip slightly, staring down at Cole. Cole pulled Kai's arm closer, not really able to understand what was going on as he was super out of it from all the medication.

"Where's my mom?" He mumbled tiredly, and I saw Kai's eyes widen slightly.

"Y-your mom...?" Kai asked, and Cole nodded as if nothing was wrong.

"Mm. I miss her." He yawned. Kai tucked him in, gently holding his hand the whole time.

"Go to sleep, Cole," He whispered to Cole as he fell asleep, "I promise we'll fix this." Kai let go of Cole's hand, turning to us. His cheeks were red in what I assume was anger, and he clenched his fists. "We're fixing him." He muttered, leaving the room. I followed, confused.

"How are we going to fix it?" I asked, and Kai glared at me.

"We need to make him happy, again. Get rid of all the painful emotion." He replied, walking to his room. "I'll see you in the morning. We'll figure this out." And with that, he shut the door for the night.

.

Man, he was cute.

Freckles, perfectly peachy pink lips, a button nose. Curly- but not too curly- reddish hair. Mesmerizing bright blue eyes. Ah, I was in love. "What happened last night?" He asked, smiling lightly up at me. I shook my head gently.

"Nothing. It's all okay now." I replied, taking in this moment of complete happiness. I was currently sitting on Jay's bed as he was resting against my chest, his cute little head snuggled up to my sweater.

"Is Cole going to be okay?" He asked. I sighed softly, looking over at the other bed, worried. Cole hadn't woken up since he passed out. He wasn't showing any signs of being even slightly conscious.

"Hopefully." I replied, and Jay frowned.

"He's stronger than this, right?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Mhm," I hummed, "He's stronger than this. Just like you are." I kissed his nose, chuckling as a light pink blush spread across his face.

"Kai said Cole's feelings were so hurt that his powers took over the pain and created evil." Jay recited, and I nodded.

"Yes." I said, "But we're going to try to fix it. Cole's a forgiving person, is he not?"

"He is. But he's also a secretive person."

I chuckled, hugging my ninja close. "Alright, Blueberry. Enough worrying. It's bad for your complexion." He giggled at my comment, going silent as he rested. I thought to myself of how we could save Cole.

Evil manifested itself in someone's mind, but it needed something there to start it. It doesn't just begin out of nowhere. Unless he was somehow attacked by the Great Devourer (that was ruled out), given evil powers (also unable to happen), or-

I jumped up, careful to lay Jay back down on the bed before I ran out to the deck where the others were. "Lotus!" I yelled, and they looked at me funny before I could continue, "Lotus! She's pure evil! She did something, I know she did! She's made Cole the way he is now!" I explained, and Kai's face darkened, infuriated.

"Let's go kill that witch." He muttered. Red lights flashed around the Bounty as the alarm went off. I instantly ran back to the room with Jay, stopping in the doorway as I saw it. There Lotus was, standing in front of a hole in the wall of the Bounty, holding the black ninja that we needed to keep away from her.

"Since my own evil heir left me," She smirked, and I glared, knowing she was firing shots at me, "I'm creating a new one."

Before anyone could react, she stepped out of the hole, hurdling to the ground with Cole.

And past the clouds, she was gone.

 **I love cliffhangers, have you noticed?**

 **We got another question!**

 **To:** **Kai**

You are my favorite ninja. I totally love your personality. Just one thing I am curious about. How much hair gel do you put in your hair?

 **From: Kairocksrainbow**

Kai: _Well, actually, it's all natural. No hair gel-_

Cole: _HE PUTS TWO HANDFULS OF HAIR GEL IN THE MORNING!_

Kai: _Y-yeah, well,_ _you sing in the shower!_

Cole: _Touche, Gelboy._

 **There's some banter for ya. Thanks for asking! Leave a review/comment/question/favorite/follow/etc etc etc. 3**


End file.
